UPDATE: The US Coast Guard has resumed the search for the missing crew from the Cheeki Rafiki. Over 200,000 signed petitions asking that the search be resumed. British Prime Minister David Cameron thanked the Coast Guard on Twitter after it made … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
The expansion of the Panama Canal, which will allow the transit of much larger ships through new locks, is like a large stone dropped in the center of a quiet lake. The ripples are being felt on every shore. This Saturday, the semi-submersible … Continue reading
The whaleship Charles W. Morgan left the dock at Mystic, CT for the first time since her arrival in 1941. On Saturday, she was towed down the Mystic River into Long Island Sound and up the Thames River to City Pier in … Continue reading
Two years ago, we posted about the the 150th anniversary of the seizure of the Confederate armed transport, CSS Planter, by Robert Smalls, a 23 year old mulatto slave, and eight fellow slaves. Smalls, who had served as the pilot of the … Continue reading
In early 2012, we posted about claims made by Greg Brooks of Sub Sea Research that they had found “the worlds richest shipwreck,” the British freighter, SS Port Nicholson, carrying a secret cargo of 71 tons of platinum, sunk by the … Continue reading
The Navy is issuing five Navy e-Reader Devices, or NeRDs, each preloaded with 300 books to each of the submarines in the fleet, and if all goes well plans to send NeRDs to all Navy vessels. The e-Readers are pretty … Continue reading
Columbus’ flagship, Santa Maria, ran aground and sank on Christmas Day 1492 off Haiti, on Columbus’ first voyage to the New World. Now after more than a decade’s research, underwater explorer Barry Clifford believes that he has found the wreck of … Continue reading
A belated happy Mother’s day to the matriarch of the J pod, known as J2, but nicknamed “Granny,” by orca researchers who is believed to be 103 years old this year, and still swimming strong. The J pod is a … Continue reading
This video has been around for some time, but I smile every time I see it. Yes, it is in Dutch, but that hardly matters. Watch until the end. The journalist is interviewing the mayor of the city of Kampen, … Continue reading
Like many milestones, once it is past, it doesn’t seem like quite as big a deal. Last week, three women made history by becoming the first female submariners to serve in the Royal Navy. Female officers have served on US … Continue reading
A rare goblin shark was caught and subsequently released by shrimp fishermen off Key West last week was only the second ever found in the region. The goblin shark is described as ‘a rare, poorly understood species of deep-sea shark. … Continue reading
Kitsap Maritime Heritage Foundation has announced that Seattle attorney Mike Withey is donating the 65′ schooner, Fiddler’s Dream, to the foundation. KMHF was founded in March of 2012 with the stated purpose of being the premiere venue in the Puget Sound … Continue reading
If you are in the area on Friday, May 9th, at 8PM, be sure to stop by the Noble Maritime Collection at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center at 1000 Richmond Terrace in Staten Island where the legendary British folk singer Hughie … Continue reading
I was saddened to hear of Farley Mowat’s death, at the age of 92. Many will remember him as an environmentalist and a champion of the rights of native Canadians, as indeed he was. I will remember him for his books about … Continue reading
Fin and sei whale are not usually seen in New York’s upper harbor, yet in a period of less than a month, two have made an appearance. Unfortunately, both were dead, pinned to the bows of ships. On the April 12th, … Continue reading
Poveglia is a small island located between Venice and Lido in the Venetian Lagoon of northern Italy. Once a quarantine for plague victims, the island contains one or more pits where plague victims were buried en-masse. Some estimates suggest that … Continue reading
The SSV Oliver Hazard Perry, the largest square-rigged sailing ship built in this country in over 100 years, is nearing completion. The 132′ long three masted steel ship has been hauled at at Newport Shipyard for final exterior work and … Continue reading
Update: The dead whale is now identified as a sei whale. One report says that it was hit by a cruise liner, possibly the Norwegian Breakaway. Last month, a 60 ton dead fin whale arrived in New York harbor, pinned … Continue reading
The Norwegian Breakway is one year old this week. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a particularly auspicious birthday. As the cruise ship entered New York harbor yesterday, after a seven day cruise, the captain reported some sort of problem related to the … Continue reading
It is not always easy to decipher the news being reported on the tragic sinking of the Korean ferry Sewol , which capsized in the Yellow Sea on April 16, leaving more than 300 dead or missing. There have been … Continue reading